A
revolutionary advancement in artificial limbs will provide the first
hard-wired brain-control of
bionic
body parts. The John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
(APL) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) have
joined forces to develop the brain-interface Modular Prosthetic Limb
(MPL).

The limb will be controlled by computer
cursors implanted in the brain and will restore the sense
of touch by sending electrical impulses from the limb back
to the sensory cortex.

APL was awarded a $34.5 million
contract with the government agency to begin testing the prototype on
human subjects over the next two years, according to a Hopkins
Applied Physics Lab press release and Singularity
Hub.

"We’ve developed the enabling technologies to
create upper-extremity prosthetics that are more natural in
appearance and use, a truly revolutionary advancement in
prosthetics," said APL Program Manager Michael McLoughlin. "Now,
in Phase 3, we are ready to test it with humans to demonstrate that
the system can be operated with a patient’s thoughts and that it
can provide that patient with sensory feedback, restoring the
sensation of touch."

The MLP includes 22 degrees of
motion, allows independent control of all five fingers, and weighs
the same as a natural human limb (about nine pounds).

The
MPL will be the first artificial limb that can bypass spinal cord
injury connect directly into the brain. This would be
beneficial for quadriplegic patients that are unable to use some
traditional prosthetics, specifically those controlled by the feet.
They would be the first human subjects tested for the
project.

Researchers on the project
have found that so far their biggest hurdle to overcome is increasing
the short lifespan of the implants. Embedded in brain tissue,
the silicon chips erode over time and would need to be replaced
within two years.

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